Quitting during probation period

[Spypigeon]

Is it unreasonable to quit a job after just 5 or 6 weeks? I went through a rigorous interview process and, once accepted, they had to wait 3.5 months while I worked my notice at my old place. I was introduced by a friend/contact, who would have received significant commission.

The trouble is, from my first day it just didn't feel right. The people are all very nice but I just don't think I'm the right fit. It's a noisy office (working from home is not an option during probation) and I really struggle to concentrate. I feel unmotivated and depressed but I can't work out why. I left my last job because I felt undervalued and overlooked and, in hindsight, I think I took this job (the first and only one I applied for) so I could get out of there. I bitterly regret it. I struggle with my confidence, but I would rather feel undervalued in a job I knew well, than out of my depth and miserable with a group of strangers.

My OH says to quit and take some time off to work out what I want to do. I have savings and no mortgage so, although we would have to tighten our belts, we can survive without my income.

My worry is how it would look to future employers...a job lasting a couple of months followed by a period of unemployment. Would it put you off? Would I come across as flaky and unreliable? Have you done something similar? I have a previous unbroken period of employment of 25+ years.

It’s a probationary period for the employer not just you. It’s a chance for you to decide if it‘s right.
I am not sure whether 5-6 weeks is long enough (usually 3-6 months is a normal settling in period) but you are not unreasonable to make a gut decision on this.
Additionally companies only ever pay out on commissions after the completion of a probationary period so they won’t lose money to your contact.

It would be unfair to not add though that the job market is terrible right now, especially if you are a knowledge worker or an admin person. And it’s not getting better any time soon so that should factor in.

The probation is a two-way street. It's not just for your employer to make sure you are the right fit. It applies to you too. If you are that unhappy, just quit but be professional about it, i.e. serve your notice in full and obviously do your job properly during the notice period. This should give them enough time to look for someone else to fill the role.

Why don’t you just look for a new job now and then resign once you’ve secured it? I assume you have a shorter notice period while you’re serving probation so there’s no rush to quit immediately. You need to have a clear narrative for your short stint at your current place but if you make a success of your next role, nobody will care, particularly if you’ve not previously had a history of job-hopping.

Id give it 6 months then decide

Just echoing what others have said in that a probationary period is a two way street, so you should not be penalised for having decided that the role is not for you. Back in the day when, admittedly, jobs were easier to come by, I left my PA job and went to work for someone I knew who was a corporate lawyer as her PA. Within two weeks I realised I had made a mistake. I spent my days trying to sort out the huge backlog of filing,trying to manage a very busy diary only to find out very quickly that whilst she wanted me to manage it she would also put stuff in at the same time without telling me (including one day which resulted in me being shouted out by a client in reception for a diary clash which wasn't my fault). It was soul destroying.

I was there 3 weeks and then went on a pre-booked holiday. I had got everying sorted, all the filing done and everything neat and tidy. I came back to find a scene of utter destruction. Files were left open over my desk, chair and the floor, drawers had been rummaged through and just left open, and there was so much stuff left in my 3 tiered filing tray that it had collapsed. I could have cried. My boss walked in with the two associates I worked for, all looking very sheepish. I did no more than find a space, type up my resignation letter (I only had to give a week's notice) and hand it in. I got a new job the very next day and started 3 weeks later. I was in that role for 23 years until I retired.

I recognise that it's nowhere near as easy to get a new role now but sometimes you've just got to bite the bullet and do what's right for you.